“August means so many different things to so many people. For those of a literary bent, one can point to the delicious long-ago novel by Edna O’Brien, August is a Wicked Month. Of course, to many it is the month of holidays, particularly schoolchildren who this week are facing the familiar feeling of going back to school after weeks of freedom …” (more)

“The SUSI grant was never intended to cover the full cost of college, the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Higher Education has said. Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, Mary Mitchell O’Connor also ruled out a proposal by the incoming President of the National Parents Council Post Primary that the Government could act as co-guarantor for loans that parents have to take out to cover the cost of their children’s third-level education …” (more)

“Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education, Thomas Byrne, has said the Minister for Education must not be allowed to wait for the next Government to tackle the tumbling ratings of Ireland’s Universities. Deputy Byrne was speaking following comments made by Minister McHugh where he stated that the Government will not act to address the crisis in higher education in this Dáil …” (more)

“Plans to tackle the funding crisis in Ireland’s third-level institutions are being scrapped until after the next election as the Government insists the sector already receives significant amounts of taxpayers’ money. Despite universities warning that nearly €140m in extra funding is needed to cater for rising student numbers, the Government signalled yesterday it would not move on the three-year-old Cassells report, which lays out options for the future funding of the sector …” (more)

“Minister for Education Joe McHugh has defended the government’s delay in implementing the Cassells report saying that it is ‘very difficult to get business through parliament because of the weakness of this government’. ‘I think it will take a new composition government to bring a big fundamental change around this’, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland …” (more)

“Provost Patrick Prendergast has warned that higher education could become a ‘crisis issue’ if the government fails to invest in the sector soon, arguing that loans schemes ‘should be investigated further’ as universities battle intractable financial problems …” (more)

“Irish universities have rounded on Minister for Education Joe McHugh after he pledged not to increase student fees in the next five years, calling for ‘positive solutions on funding’ from the government. In a statement released this afternoon, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) said that McHugh’s promise not to increase fees beyond €3,000, made in an interview with the Sunday Independent, ‘tells us what the Minister will not do’ …” (more)

“The ongoing funding crisis in higher education poses a risk to Ireland’s future, according to a new report published by the government. First published in 2014, the annual national risk assessment identifies geopolitical, economic, social, environmental and technological risks that Ireland faces …” (more)

“More money is needed so our universities are not left to crumble. Third-level funding stands at €138m less than what is needed to cater for our rapidly expanding student numbers. But where should the money come from? And how many graduates do we need? Isn’t it time to question our obsession with herding every young person off to college at the taxpayers’ expense? …” (more)

“Third-level funding stands at €138m less than what is needed to cater for rapidly expanding student numbers, Ireland’s seven universities have warned. Despite increasing by €189m since 2015, inadequate State funding is directly impacting Irish higher-level education ‘as evidenced by a fall in international rankings’, according to the Irish Universities Association (IUA) …” (more)

The Irish Universities Association (IUA) is today launching its pre-budget submission for 2020 calling on the government to support Ireland’s universities to underpin the talent, research and innovation required for today’s knowledge economy and the growth in student numbers …” (more)

“It’s been an unusually busy news week for the higher education sector. On Wednesday morning, higher education’s biggest names assembled in the basement of the Alex Hotel to listen to Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin discuss the future of higher education. The speech was well received by university heads, with Brian MacCraith, the Chair of the Irish Universities Association, even describing his remarks as ‘brave’ …” (more)

“It was around this time three years ago that the Cassells report – a groundbreaking review of potential higher education funding strategies – was officially released. Three years later, and still the government has failed to act. There’s been talk. Committees have convened. Options have been discussed. But the government has consistently failed to deliver on the report’s most crucial recommendation: action …” (more)

“Ireland’s third-level institutes will have to wait until April 2020 to hear the verdict of EU analysis on the Cassells report, Minister for Education Joe McHugh has said. The report, which sets out three options for the future funding of Ireland’s higher education sector, has been with the European Commission since January 2019, when the government applied for economic advice on the report …” (more)

“Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the results of the economic analysis of the Cassells report on third-level funding referred to the European Commission will be made available …” (more)

“The abolition of the student contribution fee would cost the government €229 million, according to Minister for Education Joe McHugh. McHugh, answering questions in the Dáil this week, said the cost of abolishing Ireland’s fees – which currently stand as the second highest in the EU – would hit the budget of the government’s grant scheme …” (more)

“Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the results of the economic analysis of the Cassells report on third-level funding referred to the European Commission will be made available; the provisions for institutions which reach a funding crisis point in the interim; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

“As almost 124,000 Leaving and Junior Certificate students get ready to sit exams tomorrow (Wednesday), the Irish Universities Association is calling on the Government to set out a sustainable funding model to prepare for these and future generations of aspiring third level applicants …” (more)

“‘The next Budget should provide once-off emergency funding from the surge in Corporation tax to address the escalating higher education crisis’, Joan Donegan, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, said in advance of IFUT’s 2019 Annual Delegate Conference in Dublin, Saturday, May 11th, 2019 …” (more)

“Failure to fund higher education stores up problems for the future. It is close to three years since the publication of the report of the expert group on funding Ireland’s third level institutions. According to the Cassells Report, the sector required additional investment of €600m annually until 2021, rising to €1bn from 2030 …” (more)